MovieChat Forums > Vin Diesel Discussion > So no one cares if it's not one of his f...

So no one cares if it's not one of his franchise films?


He's obviously done very well with the Fast & Furious franchise, and has had a decent amount of success with xXx and the Riddick films.

But any time he gets outside of that loop, his films fail. (I'm not counting his role as Groot since he's not a lead and you'd never know it's him.)

A Man Apart, Find Me Guilty, Babylon AD and The Last Witch Hunter were all financial failures. (To be fair, The Last Witch Hunter made $146 million, but it had to try to make back a $90 million budget.)

It seems these days he's not even trying to do anything original anymore. Either that, or he's not given the opportunity. If you look at his upcoming films it's all franchise stuff. Another Fast & Furious, Groot again, xXx 4, another Riddick film. . .

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I honestly think you gotta dance with the girl you brought. He made his name as an action star then tried to switch boats mid stream and it dodnt work. I understand his urge but i said even beforehand that he needed to embrace the commercial action roles and stop trying to 'stretch' or whatever it was he was going thru.

He is a damn good actor but casting is a bitch and its aligned with what the market will bear. I feel the guy but am glad he went back to action. Imo he should copy Pierce Brosnan's path and make his big ticket ones for bank then do personal projects on the side. That really works, when one has a big name. And Vin does. But seriously ho look at Brosnans list... He has done this since 1990.

Cheers

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The thing is, even when he tries action, if it's outside of the scope of his established franchises, it fails. Babylon AD, for instance, was a huge failure. The Last Witch Hunter seems to have done fairly well when you just look at its box office take, but when you factor in the budget you realize that it too lost money.

At this point it's hard to say if he even wants to stretch himself as an actor anymore, and do different kinds of films, or if he's content to just stick with what is tried and true. As you say, at one time he did try to do something different. I never saw Find Me Guilty but I've heard it's pretty good. It was directed by Sidney Lumet, so that pretty much guarantees a certain minimum baseline of quality.

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Hey whatever makes him a living. That is what matters in the end.

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Well there is something to be said for being fulfilled artistically.

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Sure. But at the end of the day we all just want to make a living. If he wants to be fulfilled artistically he doesn't have to do it through movies. I just find it odd how so many non celebrities, fans if you will, have a problem when an actor does it for the paycheck. Or ends up retiring in their 60's or 70's and fans ask... why?? Yet we don't question non celebs working for a paycheck or retiring at the standard retirement age....

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I tend to think that people pursue art because there's something inside them that NEEDS that kind of self-expression. It's not like being an accountant or managing a retail store. Obviously if you make it to the top then you can get rich, but no one knows if that will happen when they're just starting out. In fact, as I'm sure you know, the odds of being successful are stacked against anyone who tries to become an actor, so I have to believe that nearly anyone who chooses that career path does so because they have a real love for the craft.

There's a reason the term "starving artist" exists. Any kind of art is usually something they get into because it's something they have a real desire to do, and not because they see dollar signs.

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At the begining maybe. But once one makes it they have a right to earn a living and retire when they want. No questions asked. Even a portrait artist needs to eventually create enough to make a living. Comic book artists know that they can Eventually make a good living....etc. etc...

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I'm not sure what "having the right to make a living" has to do with this. No one said Vin shouldn't make money.

My point is that money isn't everything. Haven't you ever worked a shit job that made you money, but you hated the work and you felt having to get up and go do that everyday decreased your quality of life?

Vin has a right to make money. He also has a right to actually work on projects that he finds enjoyable and fulfilling.

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Yeah I get that. But he takes the franchise stuff for money. He knows that is where his bread and butter is and he also knows no one watched him in "artsier" stuff. So it apparently doesn't bother him and should not bother anyone else. Because despite what any film snobs say...at the end of the day it is a job and making money and a living is what is most important.


Oh and yes I would be perfectly happy working a shit job I wasn't happy in, if i made a few million bucks.

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I would suggest that whether or not it bothers him that no one wants to watch him in films outside of his established franchises is something neither of us can know. I would actually think that it probably DOES bother him, but of course I can't say for sure.

If he does want broader opportunities though, I hope he gets them. I've certainly heard plenty of actors in the past complain that they could only get certain types of roles when they'd like to branch out and do other kinds of films. Jack Black comes to mind.

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PITCH BLACK IS HANDS DOWN HIS BEST MOVIE.SAVING PRIVATE RYAN IS HIS BEST ACTING.NOBODY REFERS TO HIM IN COVERSATION OR PASSING AS PRIVATE CAPARZO.I ENJOY HIS WORK IN BAD AND GOOD FILMS.BRING ON MORE RIDDICK!

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Nope. Hopefully they don't mess up this Bloodshot adaption. That'd be another good franchise for him.

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I was hoping for a good Bloodshot movie too, but I can't say the trailer made me very enthusiastic. Kind of looks like shit, frankly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOUVVDWdXbo

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Looks like a 90s era direct to video action movie that could have been served up by Van Damme, just with way better FX.

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Outside of the Riddick movies I don't really care about his films at all. He just hasn't made anything that interests me. But I love the Riddick character, I just read today that they will start shooting the next film in 2020. I'm so happy about that, hopefully we will get to see Furya.

Edit: Bloodshot does look kinda interesting.

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I like Vin and I agree you. It seems like Vin can’t carry a big money movie alone without the Fast crew. I do like Vin in XXX and The Boiler Room outside the Fast series. A few of the Marvel guys have the same problem too like Chris Evans outside Captain America movies what other big hits does he have.

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I was just telling someone last night that it would be nice if Vin took more dramatic roles, but like you say he was good in Boiler Room. It's weird that nearly his entire career has been composed of action films of one kind or another. He has more skills than that, or at least he did at one time.

Regarding the Marvel crew, yeah, Chris Evans hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, and even Chris Hemsworth is a shaky box office proposition. He's certainly been given plenty of opportunities, and has made some good films as well, but if you look at the actual earnings for his non-Marvel films the numbers are disappointing.

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